Fire in my hair... says Eden

This is one of those weeks that I never want to relive nor wish on anyone. I have a nightmare running through my head, but this is a dream you can’t wake up from.

In short, a bottle of cooking spray combusted with the heat of the oven and our gas stove. The explosion caused a flash flame which filled our entire kitchen and then left the can in flames.

It all happened so fast and is unforgettably vivid and yet such a blur. Eden was standing about two feet in from of the oven and got the worst of it. I keep imagining the loud pop, whoosh of the fire, and the booming flame from the corner of my eye. At first, I had no idea what happened and instinct kicked in to grab Eden and throw her in the sink. Austin was sleeping upstairs and awoke very confused, surrounded by smoke, the alarms going off, and the deafening thuds and screams. In seconds he was downstairs putting out the fire as I ran Eden to the bathtub. At first I thought Eden may have been okay, just scared. She let out one big scream and then was quiet after that. I think she was in shock and didn’t know what was going on. Her face slowly got redder and redder and her hair was burned, but it wasn’t until we got to the hospital that blisters started to appear and the damage became more clear.

She was unbelievably good with the ER docs. She was responsive and let them check her eyes, ears, breathing, BP, temperature, and burns. It wasn’t until 10 doctors later that she because defensive, tired, and just wanted to go home. We spent 2-3 hours in the ER before Eden was discharged with second degree burns, mostly on her face. She has one good burn on her left hip and two fingers that got hit. How she escaped with only that, is a miracle.

That all happened 6:00, Tuesday night. We went back to the doctor on Thursday for them to assess her wounds and follow up. They tried to debris her face by wiping with a wet gauze. As they did, her whole forehead and nose peeled off. I’m sure it was painful and she didn’t like that one bit, so we chose to sedate her the next morning to finish the job.

Friday morning, Eden went to the operating room and was all cleaned up. The worst part was trying to console her beforehand. Austin took her in with the doctors and watched her go to sleep and then we waited for about a half hour while they did their thing. We came back to a bandaged, sleepy girl with a very rosy face. It’s just raw flesh now. It took a good hour for her to wake up from the anesthesia. She did really well, but that was rough too. She wasn’t very fond of all the cords, bandages, and connected things, but at least we were with her. And I take it back- the worst part was getting discharged. The nurses were walking circles as if they were the ones on anesthesia. We were so ready to go home and having an incompetent nurse was a trial of my patience. Austin missed school that morning to be with us so I was duly stressed for him too. But we made it and Eden’s frown quickly turned upside-down when she heard that we were going home.

Now, it’s just a matter of time. As miserable as Eden probably is, I think it’s hardest for Austin and me to watch her go through this. As long as I’m not touching her face or caring for her wounds, Eden is mostly happy and her normal self. She told me she was going to tell all her friends at church about the fire in her hair and the scary oven.

Even though I said it has been a nightmare, I can’t believe how truly blessed we are and were. The miracles are countless and the angels around us are tangible, both the seen and unseen. I have no doubt that we had divine protection and are seeing God’s hand in this whole ordeal.

I don’t even know where to start with the blessings-

For one, I am ever grateful that this happened here, in the states, where we have a good hospital and reliable, quick care just 10 minutes from our house. It would have been a completely different story had this happened in St. Kitts, where we had the same kind of gas stove and oven. I’m also so grateful that we have a car that works and that Austin was home when this happened. Our neighbors were here to help call maintenance and shut off the gas- what a help given it is a new home and neighborhood. AND... we have insurance- both renters and health. That's a relief. 

Below are pictures of our kitchen and the aftermath. As you see the pictures, you'll see that we didn't just get lucky. 

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The culprit and a hard lesson learned: never leave this stuff close to an open flame. Or on your oven.

The first burner I tried wouldn't light; there was extra gas in the air from that. There was an open flame from the burner that was on plus the oven. All that made for a bad combination. 

This door to our basement was shut, but the smoke covered the back side that was closed. It almost looks like an earthquake happened; there is debris all over the basement floor from the house shaking.

This is a picture that makes me cringe. That stuff in the sink is Eden's hair. I wanted to cry pulling it all out. The clumps in the bathroom were much, much larger and made me feel like I was holding a chemo patient. It's amazing how different a person can look without eyebrows, eyelashes, and thinned hair. :(









The heat from the fire bent the blinds of our two kitchen windows. I was standing right in front of these blinds at the trash can,. I can only attribute my safety to a heavenly bubble. I don't even remember feeling heat; not a hair on my head was touched. I'm telling you- garments really do keep you safe and offer not only spiritual, but earthly protection. As much as I'd rather be in pain instead of Eden, I am so glad that nothing put my pregnancy at risk and that I was able to take care of Eden.

Even though it's not noticeable in all places, the clean up crew said that soot covered the ceiling all the way to the front door. 










This amazes me. Look closely and you will see slashes in the shirt Eden was wearing. It's as if an animal clawed at her chest and arm. Her shirt obviously was ripped to shreds, but somehow she free from harm in those places. It just doesn't make sense.

 

I hardly recognize my little girl anymore. It's almost hard to remember what she looked like a week ago. But beauty is born from the ashes and I am touched by the overwhelming support and kindness that so many people have offered us. The many, many prayers and fasts in our behalf are felt and realized. Eden looks great, all considering. She is healing well and puts up with any pain like a trooper. She is such a strong girl, and made stronger by the healing power of Jesus Christ. I am eternally grateful for the Priesthood and that Austin was able to give her a blessing of healing in the hospital. That power is real. 

The love we feel from all our friends, family, and even strangers is tangible. We can't thank everyone enough. Our ward has already taken care of a week of dinners despite us being new; maintenance at our apartment has checked on us every day to make sure we are okay; we have been flooded with messages; and are seriously so, so blessed. 

Get this- we got a message from a resident who treated Eden in the ER. We hadn't met him yet at church, but he said we looked Mormon and saw our '801' zip code (from Utah) and bet that we would be in his ward. Sure enough, he was right! Even more ironic, Austin replaced him in the tutoring council at BYU. Small, small world. And a wonderful one. He and his wife are so kind and had us over for dinner tonight. 

How goes the story of Job? He lost all and gained back double of everything he had. Eden is having her own Job experience. If anything valuable was lost, it was her blanket. You know, HER blanket- the one that is never too far and that she can't sleep without and is pretty much her best friend. Well... grandparents are awesome. Low and behold, now Eden doesn't have just one...

... but TWO new blankies.